Jim Kerkhoff

Teardrop Travel and Texas Craft

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Built a new DIY garden weather station for Roy Creek Ranch using a Particle Photon, solar power, Home Assistant, and a 3D printed radiation shield. The original goal was simple: better local weather data for the gardens and water systems here in the Texas Hill Country. But like many projects, it evolved into something larger — part environmental monitoring, part resilient systems experiment. The station is now entering long-term outdoor testing after surviving its first round of heat, storms,

DIY Garden Weather Station (3D Printed, Solar Powered Sensor Build)

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Building a Solar Garage for EV Charging (10.5 kW System)

At a Glance Solar Garage Array • Panels added: 24 × 250 W = 6 kW • Combined System Peak: 10.5 kW • EV charging rate achieved: 9.6 kW • Build timeframe: About a year (with interruptions) • Primary purpose: Faster EV Solar Charging The Solar Garage is producing power.  After purchasing an Ioniq5 electric vehicle (EV) last year, it became obvious that increasing the solar array size would be…

Building a Solar Garage for EV Charging (10.5 kW System)

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Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ: Stop Tab MIDI Encoder

This post is an overview about building the Virtual Pipe Organ Stop Tab MIDI Encoder, and continuation of “Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ: MIDI Encoders for Pedals and Stops.” For readers interested in the technical design and firmware details of these MIDI encoders, I’ve documented the development process in more depth on my technical blog at jimkerkhoff.com. Designing the Stop Tab MIDI…

Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ: Stop Tab MIDI Encoder

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Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ: MIDI Encoders for Pedals and Stops

This Virtual Pipe Organ MIDI encoder bridges traditional organ hardware with modern software such as Hauptwerk. Making the Pedals and Stop Tabs Visible: The Virtual Pipe Organ MIDI Encoder With the structural modifications to the organ console complete, it was time to turn to a less visible—but absolutely critical part of the Virtual Pipe Organ project: how the physical controls would be…

Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ: MIDI Encoders for Pedals and Stops

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Designing a Multi-input MIDI Encoder for Multiple Switch Closures

This post describes the design of a multi-input MIDI encoder intended for switch-heavy control applications like Virtual Pipe Organs or Amateur Radio Station Automation. Why a Multi-input MIDI Encoder? Most of the hardware projects I enjoy start the same way: with a physical problem that doesn’t look very complicated until you try to solve it cleanly. In this case, the problem was easy to…

Designing a Multi-input MIDI Encoder for Multiple Switch Closures

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Reviving Our Hill Country Vegetable Garden: Lessons From Nebraska Roots and Texas Soil

Reviving Our Hill Country Vegetable Garden: Lessons From Nebraska Roots and Texas Soil

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Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ — Console Modifications

Back to the Virtual Pipe Organ Project (VPO) It’s been a while since I worked on the Virtual Pipe Organ (VPO) project, using Hauptwerk software, but it’s not forgotten. Last week, with Marilyn’s son visiting, I had a chance to resurrect the project. Frankly, modifying the heavy console was daunting, and I needed a helper to even get started. It was necessary to lift and reposition the console…

Building a Great Virtual Pipe Organ — Console Modifications

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Finishing the Really Big Lithium Ion 48-volt Battery

Preliminary steps With the completion of 95 copper bus bars, I was nearly ready to assemble the Really Big Lithium Ion Battery. There is a little process involved though. The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) cells I was using had been in storage for a while and though new, would need a some maintenance. There would be 64 of them, arranged in 16 sets of four cells. Battery Safety When creating a…

Finishing the Really Big Lithium Ion 48-volt Battery

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A Great Inverter Upgrade for More Power

Designing the Inverter Upgrade With the purchase of the Ioniq5, I started thinking about how to improve the Solar Power System. As explained on Free Solar Charging, the Emporia Level 2 Charger could provide power to the car at up to 11.5 kilowatts. The inverter I installed in 2020 was limited to 6000 watts output, not enough to reach the minimum specification for Level II charging, 7500 watts.…

A Great Inverter Upgrade for More Power

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Markdown test

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The Hyundai Ioniq5 -- An Excellent Year

The EV Experience — One Year On About a year ago, we purchased a Hyundai Ioniq5 electric vehicle. There were several reasons: Improve our resiliency and reduce reliance on commercial power systems Reduce our use of fossil fuels Generate fuel (electric power) using onsite solar energy Simplify vehicle maintenance Reduce our impact on the climate __________ We’ve had the vehicle just over a…

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The Awesome Hyundai Ioniq5 and Free Solar Charging

About a year ago, Marilyn and I made the leap and purchased a Hyundai Ioniq5. Our motivations were rooted in reducing fossil fuel reliance, harnessing solar energy for transportation, cutting fuel costs, and simplifying vehicle maintenance. After a full year of ownership, it feels like the right time to reflect on our experience. Check out “Solar Ioniq5 EV Charging: Self-Reliance and Reduced…

The Awesome Hyundai Ioniq5 and Free Solar Charging

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How To Restore A Rare Johnson Viking Mobile Transmitter

Getting back to my Thermatron Roots A couple of years ago, I found a Johnson Viking Mobile transmitter on eBay. It appeared to be complete and in pretty good condition. The price wasn’t too unreasonable, so I made a bid and won the auction. It is about the size of a shoe box. I planned to ease into tube equipment restoration by starting with a relatively simple project. The Johnson Viking…

How To Restore A Rare Johnson Viking Mobile Transmitter

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How To Use AI To Design Electronic Circuits

How To Use AI To Design Electronic Circuits

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How to Align a Ten Tec Omni 6 Plus With Ease

Alignment Methodology Aligning a radio is a lot like treating an illness. You should do as little as possible to achieve the desired result. If the system already meets the published specification, don’t mess with it. In other words, First do no harm. On the other hand, a repair that scatter-shots a variety of parts into the radio will likely need at least some alignment. That’s the situation…

How to Align a Ten Tec Omni 6 Plus With Ease

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How to Create A GPS Disciplined Frequency Counter

How to Create A GPS Disciplined Frequency Counter

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Troubleshooting the Ten Tec Omni VI Plus

Troubleshooting the Ten Tec Omni VI Plus